135mm Sonnar. Good one will cost up to fifty quid. Usual way to get them cheapest is via your local FreeAds, usually as a job lot with an old Praktica etc where the whole kit goes for 20 quid. Stunning lens. Latest was the MC S version, sharp enough to cut yourself on and excellent contrast etc. Earlier 'zebra' as sharp but somehow has much more character. Even earlier ones with almost perfect round aperture are known as the "bokeh monster" for obvious reasons. Old Pentax 135s can be had for next to nothing too, and are a fabulous chunk of glass. I'm currently watching several Pentax-M versions on fleabay.

Get the Helios 44, ignore what anyone tells you about it, use it, you'll never get rid of it - I promise. Ditto the old Tak 55mm - lovely lens, IMHO.

The possible list is endless!

K1000 as a young teenager. Loved it. Added an ME Super later on, loved it and wanted to sleep with it Further lust brought a range of Spottys and lenses. These days I have one because it just feels less plastic than the other stuff in my price range. Also it works the best with my old pre-set M42 lenses, and actually makes them make more sense than they have in my lifetime. If it weren't for the M42 usability, I'd probably save/re-mortgage for a full-frame Nikon.

I'm thinking you could be right. If my K100D was like this K110D, I'd never have even thought about getting rid of it towards a K-m. I'm really considering now whether to continue towards a K-m or just put the money into glass instead

That'll do ya piles the world of good

Lovely phone box pic. You don't see that model of phone box outside of London these days, and few of the later types. So that photo is a social document as well as artistic. Must be the archaeologist in you coming out to battle with the artist, and the two made a good job together

Living in the sticks is great, I agree. What's a taxi? I think I saw one here once, but it might have been a mirage

Talking of Ebay, I currently have some dopey prat in Serbia trying to get my name and full bank details out of me on the basis that he "cannot use Paypal or credit cards from here". He's very convincing, even gave me links to his Facebook and Myspace pages so I'd "know I am real person"

I'm keeping him dangling by asking lots of questions. He has an answer for everything

The reality is that he's probably in an Internet Cafe in Lagos and has hijacked untold number of social networking site profiles.

I'm noticing a LOT of these lately, and they all have brand new ebay usernames and 0 feedbacks. Hmm

I couldn't do it. I couldn't wait until the end of the month to get a K-m, what with all the wintry weather that was being forecast and me having no camera. So I bought a K110D from SRS following Chris' ad on here for refurb stock. I'm still gunning for a K-m and 18-250, but I can now be more relaxed about it. No doubt I probably won't get the chance to use it now I bought it But I suppose it never hurts to have a spare.

But here's what interests me: it's shaper than the K100D I sold a few weeks ago. I'm using the same lens under very similar conditions. But the pics are definitely sharper. How's that work then?

I just wish Google would get their act together and open an auction site. That would have ebay grovelling

Yep, Paypal is a PITA, and they just refuse to believe what a pain they are. I'm currently re-investigating taking credit cards via Nochex.

All the problem buyers I've ever had are 0 feeback newbies that believe they have a god-given right to f**k you about. If only there was a way to bar them from placing bids.